Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to clarify the position regarding the operation of the general public sector moratorium in the health services.

The Government has made clear that a critical part of its strategy to restore the public finances is the achievement of sustainability in the cost of delivering public services relative to State revenues. To help achieve this goal, it will be necessary to restructure and reorganise the public service and to reduce public service numbers over the coming years. This requires that the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the health service will continue to apply until numbers have fallen to the level set out in the employment control framework for the health sector. The framework for 2010-12 gives effect to the Government decision on employment policy in the public sector and provides for a net reduction in employment of 6,000 from March 2009 to the end 2012, with consequential pay roll savings.

Based on reductions already achieved in 2009, the net target reduction to the end of 2012 is 4,560 whole time equivalents. Therefore, the net target reduction in numbers in 2010 and the following two years is 1,520 wholetime equivalents.

The Government decision has been modulated to ensure key services are maintained in so far as possible in the health services, particularly in respect of children at risk, older people and persons with a disability.

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